Scottish-American Museum Opens to the
Public

The President of the Society, Gus Noble, has
announced that the Scottish-American Museum will soon be
open on a limited basis to members and friends.

The museum will be open the first Saturday of each month
in 2006, beginning in February. It will open at 9 a.m.
and close at noon. At 10 a.m. on each of these
Saturdays, there will be a discussion of the various
subjects listed below led by Wayne Rethford, Historian
of the Society. In addition, you will hear the latest
historical information about our Society and the Scots
of Chicago.

Special tours of the museum can be arranged at any time
with a phone call to the office, 630.629.4516.

February 4, 2006 - In 1900 several members of
the Society sued the President, Walter Scott Bogle,
for fraud and incompetence. Hear about the trial,
the results, and the people involved.

March 4, 2006 - Did the last surviving
descendant of Robert Burns die in Chicago on July
16, 1892? If so, where is he buried? Is this a true
story? Items in the museum that pertain to Burns
will be on display.

April 1, 2006 - Who really gave five acres of
land to the Illinois Saint Andrew Society in 1910
and what did the area around Riverside look like?
Hear about the beginnings of our Scottish Home and
some interesting twists of history.

May 6, 2006 - The last surviving member of the
Boston Tea Party lived and died in Chicago. He was a
Scot with a great story, but wait until you hear
where he is buried!

June 3, 2006 - C.K.G. Billings married Blanche
MacLeish and what a life they lived! Hear the
stories of other Scottish couples and what happened
in their lives. You may be surprised at who married
whom.

On September 15, 1912, Sir George Reid, Lord High
Commissioner of Australia, was a guest at a luncheon at
the Scottish Old People’s Home in Riverside, Illinois.
He later spoke to the residents about Robert Burns.
After lunch, James B. Forgan sang “The Land o’ the
Leal.” Among those present were: Samuel Insull, Thomas
Templeton, John Williamson, Dr. John A. McGill, Dr.
William F. Dickson, Dr. S. Cooke-Adams, George A.
Walton, W. K. Pattison, Joseph Cormack, Thomas Innes,
Horace D. Nugent, the British Consul General; James R.
Glass and George Sutherland. Later that evening Sir
George and Lady Reid were guests for dinner at the
Congress Hotel.

Birthday of Robert Burns - 1859

On January 25, 1859, Chicago celebrated the
Centennial Anniversary of Robert Burns. It was organized
by the Illinois Saint Andrew Society and involved the
entire city and surrounding area.

“Large deputations from the cities and towns along the
lines of railway centering here, are coming to join with
the citizens of Chicago in this affair.” It began with
the city’s first great parade. At 10 ½ o’clock in the
morning, the Committee on Arrangements, the Mayor, the
Common Council, Brigadier General Swift and his staff
met in Room #1 at the Tremont Hotel to form the line of
procession. At the same time, members of the Society met
at the Highland Guard Armory. “Officers are requested to
have on their badges and members to have a thistle on
their left breast.”

The parade line, lead by the Grand Marshall of the day,
Chief McGlashen, formed on State Street at 11 o’clock,
“with the right resting on Lake Street.” The military
units followed the Chicago Light Artillery, led by
Captain J. Smith. Next came four marching bands led by
the “Washington Indt.

Reg’s No. 1, under the command of Colonel Davis.” The
Fire Brigade was next followed by the Mayor and the
Common Council.

After these groups came members of the Illinois Saint
Andrew Society and other civic organizations. “Then came
citizens on horseback, citizens in carriages and finally
citizens on foot.” It was reputed to be the first great
parade in Chicago history. These quotations are taken
from the Chicago Press and Tribune
which called it a “grand procession.”

In the evening an oration was given by ex-Governor
McComas which was followed by a concert in Metropolitan
Hall. The hall was completely sold out and 500 chairs
were placed in the “passages” which one would guess
means the aisles. “Carriages for the concert arriving at
the LaSalle Street entrance will head south, at the
Randolph street entrance will head west. The police will
regulate the manner of leaving.” After the oration,
there was a banquet and ball at the Tremont Hotel. So
large was the crowd that it was necessary to remove all
the billiard tables!

Boston Celebrates - 1859

The
Boston Burns Club celebrated the centennial
anniversary of Robert Burns’ birth with a great dinner
at the Parker House.

The guest list was impressive including the governor
and the mayor. At the speaker’s table was Ralph Waldo
Emerson, James Russell Lowell, Oliver Wendell Holmes and
Lord Radstock. The main address was given by Ralph Waldo
Emerson (pictured).

Birthday of Robert Burns—1861

On Robert Burns’ birthday in 1861, Horace Greeley
gave a lecture in Chicago at the Metropolitan Hall on
“Self-Made Men.” He said “Robert Burns was surely a
self-made man. I apprehend, had he been born in a palace
and educated at college, perchance he might have been a
smart libertine, perhaps a poet - but at the present day
we would have been as ignorant of him as though he had
never existed, never written. It was his line ‘a man’s a
man for all that’ which first made Democracy possible.
All who can read and many who cannot, cherish and love
Robert Burns as never was a poet loved and cherished
before or since. He had not only the gift of seeing
poetry in everything himself, but could also make others
see it. Never were such ovations offered to the memory
of any Englishman as are annually paid that of this
untutored Scotch exciseman.”

Birthday of Robert Burns—1931

The
Illinois Saint Andrew’s Society, as an organization, did
not take a leading role in the raising of the statue to
Robert Burns in Chicago. That effort was led by the
United Scottish Societies of Chicago which included the
Illinois Saint Andrew Society. Individual members of our
Society were also members of other Scottish
organizations active in this effort and much of the
money came from them.

The residents of the Scottish Home always visit the
statue in Garfield Park in January, but there is little
evidence that our Society has paid much attention to the
monument. There is one exception to this. On January
25, 1931, eleven members of the Society laid a wreath at
the foot of the Burns statue on the 172nd birthday of
the poet. The group was led by John T. Cunningham and
included Robert Falconer, Robert Eadie, Robert W. Hall,
Donald Fraser, Robert Black, Samuel Hutcheson, Thomas
Catto, John F. Holmes, Dr. W. R. Dickson and William
Lister.

The event was also a memorial to Luke Grant who had just
died. Mr. Grant was the former publicity representative
of the North Shore Lines and the Chicago Rapid Transit
lines. He was very involved in the work of the Society
and a man greatly missed.

Death of Robert Burns - 1907

Scots usually celebrate the birthday of Robert Burns
but here are two instances where they celebrate the date
of his death on July 21, 1934. Perhaps, they made the
change from January to July because of the weather. More
than 1,000 people gathered that afternoon in 1907 at
Garfield Park to honor Robert Burns. They honored the
greatest of Scottish poets by placing a wreath on the
base of the monument. This event was held under the
auspices of the Robert Burns Memorial Society of
Chicago, which was composed of various Scottish
societies. They assembled at the Van Buren Opera House
located on West Madison and Campbell Avenue. From here,
“clad in their kilts, plaids, and tartans,” they marched
to the park. They were led by the clan’s pipe majors,
William Gunn and Duncan Forbes who played “Flowers of
the Forest” and the “Land of the Leal.” The invocation
was given by The Rev. James McLagan, pastor of the
Scotch Presbyterian Church. The address was given by Dr.
William Barclay and Mrs. Kate Campbell Saunders read some
of his poems. Others participating were: Magnus Flaws
and Fred T. Macleod. A large wreath of evergreen, roses,
and Scotch heather was placed on the base of the
monument by two little girls dressed in white. They were
Maud and Mildred Barclay. The wreath encircled a scroll
which was inscribed “For Auld Lang Syne.”

Death Of Robert Burns - 1934

According to the newspaper, the Scots gathered again
in Garfield Park to remember and celebrate. “They came
marching through the elms with skirling bagpipes and
with the banners of old Scotland.... They came all aglow
with poetry, perspiration and patriotism.” Matthew
Fetridge, past chief of the Clan Campbell and royal
deputy of the organization in Chicago was the principal
speaker.

Among other things Mr. Fetridge said: “The world today
for its own safety needs to become imbued with the
ideals of Robert Burns.” “He draws ever closer to the
people… because he was of the people. And he stands for
them, expresses them, as perhaps no other poet ever has
done.” Remember what Burns once said, “But while we sing
God Save the King, we’ll no forget the people.” The
celebrated band of the Curtis Kilties played during the
afternoon heat and towards evening, the Chicago Scottish
Choral Society directed by George Calder sang some of
the great songs by Robert Burns. They sang “Afton
Water” and “There was a Lad” which was the poet’s song
to himself. Miss Mary Dingwall sang “Ae Found Kiss”
which is often described as the briefest, sweetest
tragedy every written. “It made the young people silent
and the old people want to cry.”

Matthew Fetridge died in 1958 at the age of 79. He was
an authority on the life of Burns and his poetry and
often lectured both here and abroad. He had one son,
William H. Fetridge and a daughter, Mrs. Jerome Thor, an
actress. He was the grandfather of our Clark Fetridge
who is presently a member of the Board of Governors of
the Illinois Saint Andrew Society. One book of poetry
written by Matthew Fetridge is in the Scottish-American
Museum.

From the Editor

We have dedicated this issue of our newsletter to
Robert Burns in the hope that some of our readers who
live in the Chicago area will attend one of the Burns
dinners listed here or on the web site. I once read
that, among the things Scottish immigrants brought to
the New World were: their Bibles, their gun, cooking
utensils, seeds and the writings of Robert Burns. The
schools they established used the Bible, the writings of
Robert Burns and the McGuffey Reader. The influence of
Burns on the frontier of our nation was immense.

We know that Abraham Lincoln often quoted Burns and once
attended a Burns Dinner in Springfield, Illinois. After
his death, Thomas Bayley Potter, M.P. presented to his
son,
Robert T. Lincoln, a two-volume set of Burns’
writings. The covers were of fine, polished fancy wood
known as the wood of Mocklin from Dumfries-shire. The
two volumes were then placed in a small velvet-lined box
made of the same Mocklin wood. The presentation was made
in Chicago where Robert Lincoln lived and had a very
successful law practice. He is said to have “informed
Mr. Potter that his father’s favorite poets were Burns
and Milton.” There are some who have said it was Burns
and Shakespeare.

May I urge you to support this publication by sending in
your renewal of $10.00 to the Illinois Saint Andrew
Society. Contributions received did not cover the cost
of this newsletter in 2005 although it appears that
many of you appreciate the materials. We thank you for
all the letters, notes, e-mails and telephone calls, and
urge your support in 2006.